Report No. 07 of 1998 Date: 13 February 1998This report includes: A) Sierra Leone B) Afghanistan C) East Africa: Regional, Kenya and Somalia D) Iraq E) El Nino - Central America (Nicaragua, Honduras, Panama, El Salvador and Guatemala).
>From Manuel Aranda da Silva, Chief, Technical Support Service. Available on the Internet on the WFP Home Page at http://www.wfp.org/ or by electronic mail from Deborah.Hicks@wfp.org (fax 39 6 6513 2837). For information on resources, donors are requested to contact Francesco.Strippoli@wfp.org or Aleesa.Blum@wfp.org at WFP Rome, telephone 39 6 6513 2504 or 6513 2004. New address of WFP is Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68, Parco dei Medici, Rome 00148.
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS (Details below in Part II)
A. SIERRA LEONE
1. Update a) ECOMOG forces take control of Freetown on 13 February. b) A vessel loaded with 850 tons of WFP emergency food expected to arrive in Freetown from Monrovia on 19 February; vessel also carries medical and other emergency supplies for non-governmental organizations.
B. AFGHANISTAN
1. Update a) Deteriorating weather conditions hinder relief operations in earthquake-affected area of Rustaq in Takhar Province. Some 30,000 persons in urgent need of assistance. b) WFP distributes food brought from stocks in Faizabad and high-energy biscuits flown from Islamabad. Further supplies on the way from Faizabad and Tajikistan. c) UN and ICRC plan an airlift/airdrop of emergency supplies from Pakistan.
C. EAST AFRICA: UPDATE ON TRANSPORT CORRIDORS, REGIONAL IMPACT OF EL NINO, KENYA AND SOMALIA
1. Update on Great Lakes Transport Corridors a) Delivery of food to beneficiaries throughout Great Lakes region still hindered by logistics problems along southern corridor from Dar es Salaam. b) Majority of WFP cargo on northern corridor uses overland rail route to Uganda, with limited use of Kisumu-Port Bell rail ferry link. c) Increased commercial food imports into Kenya are affecting capacity of Mombasa-Kampala rail line.
2. FAO Special Report on East Africa a) FAO special report on impact of El Nino rains in East Africa issued 5 February.
3. Kenya a) Further heavy rain experience from 10 February onwards, but rain is lighter than elsewhere in flood-affected areas of north-eastern Kenya. Renewed rains exacerbate conditions on Mombasa-Nairobi highway. b) WFP air operations into flood-affected areas continue; air drops made to communities still stranded by floods in Wajir, Garissa and Tana River districts. Shortage of funds for air operations reduce deliveries in first week of February to only 61 percent of planned figure. Further scaling back will be necessary if additional funds not received. c) Air bridge to 125,000 refugees in Dadaab refugee camp also affected by shortage of funds; rations may have to be reduced in March as a result.
4. Somalia a) Meteorologists warn of further flooding during normal rainy season of March to June, due to possible above-average rainfall.
D. IRAQ
1. Update a) Diplomatic efforts continue in attempt to end stand-off over UN weapons inspections. b) Government of Iraq raises objections to certain details of recent expansion of SCR 986, objecting to additional expenditure being earmarked to defray UN costs and opposing any increase to compensation fund for Kuwait. c) Trips by WFP observers currently limited to day trips outside of Baghdad.
E. EL NINO - CENTRAL AMERICA
1. Update a) Details are given below for present relief activities and the crop situation in countries covered under the WFP El Nino emergency operation for Central America, EMOP 5949: Nicaragua, Honduras, Panama, El Salvador and Guatemala. Information is based on WFP field reports and FAO Special Report of 9 February 1998 b) Total funds required for WFP operation are USD 9.4 million. Confirmed pledges of USD 3.36 million has been received from the US and USD 97,700 from Italy.
PART II - DETAILS
A. SIERRA LEONE
1. UPDATE - information as of 16 February
1.1 ECOMOG intervention forces gained control of the Sierra Leonean capital Freetown on 13 February ending the rule of the military junta which ousted President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah last May.
1.2 Humanitarian needs of displaced populations increased over recent weeks, and were exacerbated by the intensified military activity which began on 5 February. WFP and other agencies will be assessing humanitarian needs as soon as access is possible.
1.3 WFP was loading a vessel in Monrovia on the weekend of 14/15 February with 850 metric tons of emergency food (cereals, oil, pulses and corn-soya blend) and medical and other emergency supplies for MSF and Action Contre la Faim. The vessel, which was expected to finish loading on 16 February, is to arrive in Freetown on 19 February. Three WFP officers, including a WFP logistics officer formerly based in Sierra Leone, and the WFP port captain for Monrovia, will travel with the vessel. Food will be distributed in Sierra Leone by ICRC and non-governmental organizations including Action Contre la Faim.
1.4 WFP plans to despatch a second vessel from Conakry and is also exploring the possibility of transporting food by road from Guinea.
1.5 It is estimated that more than 20,000 people have fled from Freetown since the outbreak of this latest episode of fighting. A number of refugees have arrived in Guinea: Conakry (1,800 persons), Forecariah (3,000-4,000 persons) and Nzerekore (number unconfirmed).
1.6 A United Nations inter-agency mission which was scheduled to assess the humanitarian situation in Sierra Leone in early February was cancelled because of the fighting.
B. AFGHANISTAN
1. UPDATE - updated information as of 16 February
1.1 An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck Takhar Province on 4 February. Takhar Province is in northern Afghanistan, and borders Badakshan on its east and the Taliban-controlled province of Kunduz on its west. On the north, Takhar is bordered by Tajikistan. The affected area of Rustaq lies 130 kilometres north of the provincial capitol of Taluqan.
1.2 In Rustaq, which was affected by both the earthquake and its aftershocks, the weather has been deteriorating, with snowfall and poor visibility preventing flights into the area from Pakistan for the past four days
1.3 So far, WFP has distributed the 20 tons of food (19.5 tons of wheat and 500 kg of high-energy biscuits) received on 12 February from in-country stocks in neighbouring Faizabad (Badakshan province) in addition to the 300 kg of high-energy biscuits flown in from Islamabad. The additional 50 tons of food dispatched from Faizabad on 10 February is still delayed due to bad weather and extremely poor road conditions but is expected to reach the affected area around 18 February. In addition, 200 tons of relief supplies have been sent from WFP stocks in Tajikistan, including vegetable oil and sugar. This is expected to arrive at the Afghan border on 17 February, and will be unloaded onto boats, with an estimated capacity of ferrying 70 tons per day. On the Afghan side of the river twenty trucks have been booked; transport time from the border is two days. A further convoy carrying 200 tons of food is to be dispatched from Tajikistan.
1.4 The UN and ICRC plan an airlift/airdrop of emergency supplies from Pakistan, which will fly when weather permits. For the present, WFP Afghanistan continues to rely on the land route.
1.5 Among the survivors of the earthquake, an estimated 30,000 persons have been identified as in immediate need of assistance, and may require food assistance for up to three months.
C. EAST AFRICA: UPDATE ON TRANSPORT CORRIDORS, REGIONAL IMPACT OF EL NINO, KENYA AND SOMALIA
1. UPDATE ON GREAT LAKES TRANSPORT CORRIDORS
1.1 Delivery of food to WFP beneficiaries throughout the Great Lakes region remains constrained because of continued problems of logistics capacity along the southern corridor from Dar es Salaam. Food movement via Mpulungu in Zambia is stalled, due to a downed bridge north of Kasama and congestion in Mpulungu port, resulting from recent heavy rains and increased commercial traffic. Repair works on the bridge are expected to be completed within one week but meanwhile some many trucks are stranded at the harbour.
1.2 The road/rail link from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma is performing at the target rate of 6,000 tons per month, with this capacity shared between the Tanzanian drought, the Tanzanian refugee and the Uvira returnee programmes, as well as a part of the Burundi programme. WFP also continues the despatch of food to the Tanzanian drought project from Mombasa via Kisumu to Mwanza.
1.3 As commercial operators are also beginning to use the Kisumu port link to northern Tanzania, congestion problems are beginning to appear on the Mombasa-Kisumu rail line, meaning that the majority of WFP's cargo on the northern corridor is moving on the overland rail route to Uganda, with a limited use of the Kisumu-Port Bell rail ferry link.
1.4 Increased commercial food imports into Kenya, due to food production disruptions over the last few months, are now also affecting the Mombasa-Kampala rail line. WFP is holding discussions with both Kenya railways and the Uganda Railways Corporation, to ensure that planned throughput levels will be maintained, as the northern corridor is presently supplying all of Uganda's and Rwanda's relief food needs, as well as two-thirds of Burundi's relief food requirements.
2. FAO SPECIAL REPORT ON EAST AFRICA
2.1 On 5 February, FAO issued a special report on East Africa, describing the effects of the heavy rains, attributed to the El Nino, which have caused extensive crop damage in the region. The report indicates that the resulting floods have seriously affected food production and food distribution and caused extensive damage to crops in the field and in stores. Large livestock losses were also reported. The severe damage inflicted on the sub-region's transport infrastructure is seriously disrupting the movement of goods.
2.2 In Tanzania, apart from the disruption of rail and road systems, the heavy rains and flooding resulted in localized crop losses and damage of the 1997/998 Vuli crop, grown from October to February. In central and southern parts of the country, where cereal crops of the main season are at developing stage, crops losses in some low-lying areas may be significant, but the abundant precipitation has been generally beneficial.
2.3 In Uganda, the heavy rains, mainly in eastern parts, resulted in floods and mudslides which caused loss of life, damage to housing and infrastructure and localized crop losses. Prices of maize and beans, which by December 1997 had doubled in a year, are anticipated to decline with the arrival of the new crop. Nevertheless, the food situation remains difficult for the large number of displaced people in northern parts affected by persistent civil conflict.
3. KENYA
3.1 After a relatively dry spell of two weeks, heavy rain fell again in much of Kenya from 10 February onwards. Fortunately only light showers were experienced in most of the flood affected areas of north-eastern Kenya. The most serious affect of the renewed rains has been to exacerbate conditions on the vital Mombasa-Nairobi highway. Temporary bridges have been built to replace those which collapsed in January, but road edges and hard shoulders remain eroded, and destroyed tarmac surfacing remains unrepaired.
3.2 WFP's air operations into flood affected areas have continued with air drops in communities still stranded by floods in Wajir, Garissa and Tana River districts. Between 10 December and 8 February, 1,423 tons of WFP food and 543 tons of other relief supplies had been flown into flood affected communities by Hercules C-130 aircraft. However, in the first week of February deliveries were only 61 percent of what had been planned due to the shortage of funds to cover air operating costs. If further contributions are not received in the near future WFP may have to further scale back its air operations, including the services to partner UN agencies and non-governmental organizations.
3.3 Similar problems exist with the air bridge which WFP has run since mid-December to get food and other supplies to the 125,000 refugees in the Dadaab refugee camp. Based on the current funding situation, it may not be possible to distribute more than 50 percent of the normal ration to refugees during the early March distribution.
3.4 WFP will continue to take advantage of any drier weather in the weeks ahead to restore road deliveries of food to people being assisted under the Emergency Operation and in Dadaab. In the case of Dadaab, WFP is working with UNHCR, the Ministry of Public Works and interested donors to initiate emergency road repairs before the onset of the long rains which are due in eastern Kenya at the beginning of April.
4. SOMALIA
4.1 Meteorologists have warned of the possibility of above-average rainfall in the normal rainy season (March to June) which may result in further flooding. WFP fears that 200,000 people once again will be affected by flooding over the next few months as a result. Thousands of people are still homeless following the flooding which began last October.
D. IRAQ
1. UPDATE
1.1 While diplomatic efforts continue in order to end the current stand-off over UN weapons inspections, military forces are being put in place which could be used to stage strikes against Iraq.
1.2 The Government of Iraq has raised objections to the expansion of Security Council Resolution 986. Iraqi authorities have objected to additional expenditure being earmarked to defray UN costs and are entirely opposed to any increase in deductions made for the compensation fund for Kuwait. The UN Secretary-General is in the process of preparing a response to these objections.
1.3 According to WFP analysis, the monthly distribution of SCR commodities to warehouses in January throughout Iraq continued to be equitable in all governorates.
1.4 Due to the prevailing security situation since the beginning of February, WFP observers conducted only day trips outside of Baghdad, and avoided staying overnight outside of the capital. As a result, five of the fifteen governorates in the centre/south were not visited, including Barsrah, Mayssan, Thiqar, Ninevah and Muthana. Where they have travelled, WFP observers have been accorded the usual co-operation and assistance by the local authorities.
E. EL NINO - REGIONAL EMOP FOR DROUGHT/FLOOD RELIEF IN CENTRAL AMERICA
1. UPDATE
1.1 Background information: An emergency operation for USD 9.4 million in emergency food aid for poor farmers and their families in five countries of Central America where the El Nino meteorological phenomenon has caused drought and floods was approved by WFP and FAO on 1 December 1997. An appeal was made by WFP to provide a total of 19,566 metric tons of emergency food rations to 323,000 people living in remote and rugged areas of Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama.
1.2 Resourcing situation: USD 170,000 was advanced to the Central America operation from the WFP Immediate Response Account (IRA) in November, and an additional USD 2 million in December, for the purchase and delivery of approximately 5,000 MT of food commodities. Since then, confirmed donations have been received from the US for USD 3,357,900 (5,200 mt of rice, 220 mt CSB, 300 mt beans, and 140 mt vegetable oil), and from Italy for USD 97,700 (296 mt maize).
1.3 The following is the current situation by country, based on information from WFP field offices and from the FAO Special Report on the impact of El Nino on crop production in Latin America, dated 9 February 1998. In all the countries listed below, WFP relief operations started in early January, using food stocks from existing development projects.
a) Nicaragua. Marked rainfall deficit during the planting season in May and June 1997 affected the northern Pacific municipalities. Irregular and ill-distributed rains in December negatively affected also the 1997/98 second season ("postrera") crops, currently being harvested and delayed planting of the third season ("apante") crop. A reduced output of maize, the main cereal, is expected, mostly as a consequence of the severe drought damage to the first season crop. It is estimated that 12,700 families, 82,000 children and 3,000 pregnant/nursing mothers are in need of food assistance. Distribution of food aid, which started early January 1998 with food commodities borrowed from WFP development projects, has so far benefited 82,000 children and 2,000 pregnant women. Food-for-work activities are being implemented, such as soil conservation, feeder road rehabilitation, and creation of seedling nurseries. A total of 150,000 family rations were distributed to 3,500 families. Non-food items (agricultural tools and fertiliser) were also distributed.
b) Honduras. The lack of rains during the main cropping season has caused losses mainly in the south and western areas of the country. A total of 29 municipalities were affected, with losses in 53,788 planted hectares. The second crop of maize, sorghum and beans currently being harvested has also been affected due to irregular and ill-distributed rains. Approximately 5,000 families have been initially identified as those most affected, at nutritional risk and in need of temporary food aid. Distribution of emergency food started early in January.
c) Panama. Drought conditions affected food crops in some provinces. Subsistence farmers in these areas have sustained total crop failure. Rice production has been most affected. Approximately 16,000 families are considered to be the most at risk. The situation at present continues to be serious due to unusually high temperatures and dry conditions, particularly the Pacific coastal provinces. Emergency distributions started in early January under food-for-work activities (rehabilitation of agricultural land, basic community infrastructure).
d) El Salvador. Severe damage has been sustained from the lack of rain in some 30 municipalities of the eastern region. Basic crops (maize, beans and rice) have been lost. About 4,500 families are most affected in the eastern departments of La Union, Morazan and San Miguel. Normal weather in the last few weeks has been too late to reverse the damage caused by earlier drought to the recently harvested 1997/98 second season maize crop. The bean crop, by contrast, was not seriously affected and normal growing conditions are reported for sorghum. Limited relief activities have been implemented under food for work.
e) Guatemala. The main affected areas are in the eastern region of the country. Total crop losses are estimated at 145,000 tons. About 10,000 families are estimated to be at particular nutritional risk. Harvesting of the 1997/98 second season cereal crops has been nearly completed under generally dry weather. A reduced output of maize, the main cereal, is anticipated due to severe drought-induced losses to first season crops and to intensive rains and flood damage to the plantings of the second season crops. The food situation is tight in rural areas. Limited relief activities have been developed with borrowed food from development project stocks.
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 07 of 1998 - February 13, 1998)
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